Kahnawake Health Check Calls Begin Thursday
Written by Paul Graif on 29 April 2020
Kateri Memorial Hospital Center staff will begin their calls on Thursday to begin the health check of Kahnawake.
KMHC Executive Director Lisa Westaway says the calls will focus specifically ont COVID-19 symptoms. “The goal is to arrange mobile testing. We will come and test you at your homes. It is so we have the best information in order to decide when to open things up in the community,” Westaway said. The calls will be made by four or five health professionals. They will not answer questions about other health issues. They will instead refer you to you regular doctor or a clinic.
Westaway said that the recent survey found that people in Kahnawake who were tested did not want to self isolate. “Testing is not the predicting factor of when you should self isolate. You should only self isolate when you develop the symptoms. That means separating yourself from your family for 14 days and staying in a room by yourself and having your own bathroom,” she said.
As the Task Force contemplates and makes plans to slowly open things up again, society will look different for a period of several months.
“Our new normal is going to be very different from our pre COVID-19 normal,” Westaway said. “Once we start to reopen we will need to continue to test, and those who have the symptoms will still have to self isolate. We will also have to continue to avoid social gatherings. Our new normal will still be keeping within your family unit. When we start opening businesses slowly we will still have to maintain social distancing.”
Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips said nothing has changed in Kahnawake. “All of the Directives remain in place. There have been no changes. We will have an update on that on Friday,” Phillips said.
